Hearing God's Call

Summary

The
leader explains that today we're going to be travelling in time to think
about how God has spoken to His people throughout the ages, and how He
still calls us today.

Three
stories are acted out, in turn, around the church: Moses and the burning
bush; Elijah in the cave; and the calling of the first
disciples.

The
leader links the stories together with short talks between the sketches,
and a concluding talk that applies the teaching to our lives
today.

People

A reader
(adult or older child)

A leader
(or more than one) to guide the congregation through the
teaching.

Adults to
help dress up and supervise the children through the
sketches.

Children
- there's room here for all to be involved if they wish. Some have
spoken parts - use adults as narrators or for some of the spoken parts if
your'e short of child readers.

Props

Scripts:
one per speaking part.

For
Moses: a representation of the burning bush (e.g. a picture); sandals for
Moses (they don't need to fit - he can be holding them, then put them
down rather than taking them off if necessary); a head dress or similar
for Moses; as a representation of God, such as a Bible to
hold.

For
Elijah: you might provide a crown and robe for Queen Jezebel, and other
simple props like head dresses so that some other children have the
chance to dress up as her servants; a cloak for Elijah; and you can drape
a grey or brown blanket over the pulpit, some pews or whatever you have
available, to represent Mount Horeb. You'll also need some
representation of the wind, earthquake and fire: e.g. bellows to
represent the wind (or you could prime the congregation to make blowing
noises); the organist might make earthquake noises, or you could have the
children with musical instruments or drums; and an older child with a
candle could represent the fire.

For the
disciples: fishing nets or some other representation of their boats;
something for them to wear (even if it's just a scart, waistcoat or hat
each it helps the children to feel more involved).

Preparation

The Moses
and Elijah stories both take place on Mount Horeb, so set up the mountain
representation in one area of the church and the fishing boats in another
- e.g. drape a fishing net over the pulpit and use the vestry door as the
mouth of Elijah's cave.

Select
readers as people arrive at the beginning of the service. Give out
props at the start of each sketch.

Teaching Notes

Introduction: after the reading, invite the children
to the front and explain that today's teaching is all about God's call on
our lives, and how we choose to respond to it. You'll be
travelling in time to see how He has spoken to His people throughout
history.

Ask the
children how long it is since Jesus was born, and explain that you're
going to be taking them back even further than that: to about 1500 BC,
the time when the pyramids were being built in Egypt. Use
questions and answers to fill in Moses' background (some of them might
have seen the well-known animated film): his people, the Israelites, were
slaves to the Egyptians; he was brought up in the Pharaoh's palace but
had to run away after he struck an Egyptian slave driver who was treating
the Israelites very badly. We join him when he is an adult: having run
away into the desert he met and married a beautiful young girl, and now
he enjoys a peaceful life as the shepherd of her father's flocks.

Invite
the children to join you near the area of church that you've set up as
Mount Horeb. Put the readers in their places, and guide them as
necessary while they are acting out the story in the script.

Talk the
children through what they have just seen. Moses has made himself
a new life, far away from the Egyptian slave drivers. He's happily
married, with a steady job and a good family. Then one day - bam! - God
calls him out of this comortable new life and asks him to go back to
Egypt and rescue his people. Moses doesn't think he can do it, but God
reassures him: if He has chosen Moses as the man for this job, then Moses
can do it, and God will be with him all the way. Moses eventually obeys
God.

Explain
that you're now going to go forward in time about 600 years, to a time
when Queen Jezebel and King Ahab ruled over Israel. The prophet
Elijah had been teaching the people about God, but we join him just when
Jezebel had killed many other prophets, and Elijah was running away.

The
children act out the story, with Elijah running from one part of the
church (where the Queen is) to the part where Mount Horeb is set
up. Again, talk them through what they have just seen: unlike
Moses, Elijah isn't called by God out of a comfortable life. He's in the
middle of a crisis, running away from the threat of death. He runs to
Mount Horeb. He would have known about Moses and the burning bush all
those years before: was he perhaps hoping that God would send him a
dramatic sign, too? Instead God shows him that this isn't always that way
that He speaks to His people. Elijah hears a still, small voice that
speaks deeply to him - and he responds with obedience, just as Moses did
to his more dramatic sign.

Finally,
tell the children that they're going to travel forward in time another
900 years. Lead them to where the boats are set up, and have them
act out the story of Jesus calling His first disciples, with which you
started. Afterwards, talk them through the disciples' response to Jesus:
they left everything to follow Him. As the children why they think the
disciples did this? Because they trusted Jesus.

If we
travel forward in time another 2000 years then we can see that Jesus
still calls us to follow Him today - we might not see a burning bush like
Moses, or meet Jesus in person like the disciples, but we can still hear
His voice in our hearts. He might not be asking us to leave
everything behind, but He asks us to obey him no matter where we are or
what we are doing. Like Moses and Elijah and those first disciples we
have a choice about how we respond. If we say "yes" then we know that He
will never let us down.

Script: Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3)

Narrator: Moses
was looking after his father-in-law's flock, and he led them to the far
side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There Moses saw
a strange sight.

Moses: I will go
over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up.

God: Moses!
Moses!

Moses: Here I
am.

God: Do not come
any closer. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is
holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac and the God of Jacob.

Narrator: And
Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

God: I have seen
the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of
their slave drivers, and I have come down to rescue them. So now, go, I am
sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.

Moses: Who am I,
that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

God: I will be
with you.

Script:Elijah Runs Away (1 Kings 19)

Narrator: Queen
Jezebel had threatened to kill the prophet Elijah. Elijah was afraid and
ran for his life. He travelled for forty days and forty nights into the
desert until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a
cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him.

God: What are you doing here, Elijah?

Elijah: I have
done my best for the Lord God Almighty. But all the other prophets have
been killed. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me
too.

God: Go out and
stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to
pass by.

Narrator: Then a
great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks
before the Lord . . . [PAUSE FOR CONGREGATION'S WIND NOISES] . . . but the
Lord was not in the wind.

After the wind there was
an earthquake . . . [PAUSE FOR CONGREGATION'S EARTHQUAKE NOISES] . . . but
the Lord was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake came
a fire . . . [PAUSE FOR FIRE TO RUSH PAST] . . . but the Lord was not in
the fire.

After the fire came a
still small voice - a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his
cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

God: What are you doing here, Elijah?

Elijah: I have
done my best for the Lord God Almighty. But all the other prophets have
been killed. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me
too.

God: Go back the way you came, and obey everything I am about to
tell you.

Script:Jesus Calls the First Disciples (Matthew 4)

Narrator: From that time on, Jesus began to preach.

Jesus: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.

Narrator: As Jesus
was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called
Peter and his brother Andrew. they were casting a net into the lake, for
they were fishermen.

Jesus: Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Narrator: At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and
his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee,
preparing their nets.

Jesus: Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Narrator: Immediately they left the boat and their father and
followed him.